Website Misleads Users to Justice Department Epstein Files During GOP Convention Promotion

<figure><img alt="U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he sits in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/JDKORWQT6ZFGFDCNGLO7O4NU3Y.JPG?auth=03d3742f9a8d47a99b40554b83bb6c995e2774e875e96e477f24cdffbd966269&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3130&amp;height=1761" /><figcaption>Ken Cedeno / REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>A website promoting the upcoming GOP midterm convention unexpectedly redirected users to the Justice Department's Epstein files. The site, gopdallas2026.com, initially appeared to provide details about the convention, including registration and VIP experiences. However, by Friday, the link redirected visitors to the DOJ’s Epstein library. The original site has since been taken down, but the redirect remains active.</p><img alt="DOJ Epstein files and Jeffrey Epstein. / VERONIQUE TOURNIER / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images" height="3572" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/ULQ5QVKV3ZENTITFCF7WVS6Q5A.jpg?auth=17fa1c05600284e0d6728dfc47cb78a11f984590a0cad802ea05a69e296519d3&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5000&amp;height=3572" width="5000" /><p>The website was not affiliated with the Republican National Committee or the convention. The official site is gopconvention.com, which has remained accessible. The look-alike site had been ranking prominently in Google search results for terms like “GOP convention Dallas,” sometimes appearing above the official site, as reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/us/politics/republican-midterm-convention-epstein-files.html" rel="" target="_self" title="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/us/politics/republican-midterm-convention-epstein-files.html">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Archived versions indicate that the site had been online since at least July and was still presenting itself as a convention resource earlier in the week. It included a disclaimer identifying it as an independent site, but this was in small print, while the rest of the page mimicked an official convention hub.</p><p>Domain registration service GoDaddy indicates the site was registered on July 7 and updated on Thursday, but the owner's identity is private.</p><img alt="Department of Justice" height="934" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/KBHXTEZJYBF7PERO65IJSGPTRE.png?auth=9d34e4a99befbba9176bb65b92ff60d2218c144fea87d1e73000e7376c4f5446&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2342&amp;height=934" width="2342" /><p>Nearly 140 other websites linked to gopdallas2026.com, including The Dallas Morning News and the Daily Wire, prior to the misdirection being discovered.</p><p>Zach Parkinson, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, commented on the incident, stating, “Democrats are too broke to have their own midterm convention, so they settled for a sad, fake little website.”</p><p>Unnamed sources indicated that the site was created by the creative agency TaskForce, which describes itself as a “cultural strategy and marketing agency.” TaskForce has not confirmed this report, but clicking on their website also redirected to the DOJ’s Epstein library.</p><p>TaskForce’s website states it was founded in 2010 following Barack Obama’s HOPE campaign. Its clients have included Rock the Vote, Amnesty International, the United Nations Foundation, and the Obama White House.</p><img alt="Questions about Donald Trump’s long friendship with Jeffrey Epstein have dogged the president for years. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images" height="5169" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/DWE77ASP2ZCYBHHA74VV534GJA.jpg?auth=917273ede7882b7fb30d29e0c2d8c4e9c83cc0f8d3f8d2d79f288818dbbb7677&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3600&amp;height=5169" width="3600" /><p>TaskForce’s founder Yosi Sergant, who commissioned the famous “Hope” poster featuring Obama, appeared to take credit for the stunt in a text to the Times, stating, “We made you look. Satire is such an important art form to draw attention to important issues, like the Epstein files.”</p><video id="OgCaqACf" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/OgCaqACf/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/OgCaqACf.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p>The first-ever Republican Party midterm convention is scheduled for September 9 and 10 in Dallas, with GOP leaders claiming it will attract around 20,000 attendees, including Vice President JD Vance and other GOP leaders, but not first lady Melania Trump.</p><p>Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the event, citing the additional costs and the timing, as candidates should be focused on campaigning ahead of the midterms.</p>